Motorized window shades are old and well known in the art. There are countless forms of motorized window shades. A number of configurations of motorized window shades are manufactured by applicant QMotion Incorporated d/b/a QMotion Advanced Shading Systems, having an address of 3400 Copter Road, Pensacola, Fla. 32514; Lutron Electronics, Inc. having an address of 7200 Suter Road, Coopersburg, Pa. 18036-1299; MechoSystems, having an address of 42-03 35th Street, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101; Somfy Systems having an address of 121 Herrod Blvd, Dayton, N.J. 08810, to name a few. Each configuration of motorized window shades has its unique advantages, and its unique disadvantages. Each configuration of motorized window shades has its own unique aesthetic appeal and operates in its own unique manner.
There are essentially two broad categories of motorized window shades, hardwired shades and battery powered shades. Hardwired shades are powered by a wired connection to an unlimited power source, such as being electrically connected to the power system that extends through the building in which the hardwired shade is installed. On the other hand, battery powered shades are powered by a limited power source, such as one or more batteries positioned within or connected to the window shade.
Hardwired shades provide the advantage of essentially never running out of power and eliminate the need to replace batteries. This convenience comes at the complexity and cost of needing to have the hardwired shade connected to a power source. This can be quite complex and expensive, requiring substantial planning before a structure is built, or substantial efforts to retrofit a preexisting structure. Another disadvantage of conventional hardwired shades is that due to the fact that they have an unlimited amount of power, their motors tend to rotate at a high rate of speed which requires a high gear ratio to reduce the speed to an aesthetically pleasing opening and closing speed for the window shade. This high gear ration creates a high level of back drive when the shade is manually moved which can eliminate the possibility of manually moving the shade or cause the gears to break when manually moved.
Alternatively, battery powered shades provide the advantage of eliminating the complexity and expense of running wires to each window shade. This convenience however comes at the cost of periodically needing to replace the batteries, and running the risk that the window shade will run out of power from time to time. Another disadvantage of battery powered window shades is that due to being battery powered extreme measures must be taken to conserve as much power as possible. One manner of conserving power is by configuring the shade to enter a sleep state after a predetermined amount of time passes without any action. When in a sleep state, the ability of the shade to detect wireless control signals can be greatly reduced. This can cause the battery powered shade to miss wireless control signals, which can be extremely frustrating to a user. Because one of the biggest advantages of battery powered window shades is that they can be installed without any connected wires, battery powered window shades are relegated being controlled by wireless control signals. That is, it would cut against the advantages provided by a battery powered motorized window shade to run wires to the battery powered window shade to control the window shade and therefore battery powered window shades come with the inherent susceptibility to missing wireless control signals.
Regardless whether the motorized window shade is battery powered or powered by an unlimited source of power, consumers prefer that their motorized window shades open or close at approximately the same speed as one another and in unison with one another. That is, when there is a plurality of motorized window shades in one room, or in view of one another, when the user presses an open or close button, it is undesirable for the motorized window shades to open at different speeds. However, due to countless variables, different motorized window shades open at different speeds. These variables include: differences in the efficiency of the motors, differences in the power levels supplied to the motors, differences between the shade materials, differences in the rotational bearings, differences between the height of the motorized window shades, differences between the width of the motorized window shades, among countless other variables.
To complicate matters further, different consumers desire their shades to open at different speeds. That is, what one consumer may consider the perfect opening or closing speed, another consumer may consider too fast or too slow.
Therefore, for the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, drawings and claims there is a need in the art for an improved motorized window shade system and method of use.
Thus, an object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that improves upon the present state of the art.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that provides some of the advantages hardwired motorized window shades and some of the advantages of battery powered window shades while not suffering from some of the disadvantages of hardwired motorized window shades and some of the disadvantages of battery powered window.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for adjusting the opening and closing speed.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for hardwired control as well as wireless control.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that facilitates balancing the speed of bottom bars of multiple shades.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows a user to speed the opening or closing speed.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows a user to slow the opening or closing speed.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that varies the opening or closing speed in an efficient manner.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for balancing the bottom bar speed of motorized window shades having varying widths.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for balancing the bottom bar speed of motorized window shades having varying heights.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for balancing the bottom bar speed of motorized window shades having varying gear ratios.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for balancing the bottom bar speed of motorized window shades having varying motors.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for balancing the bottom bar speed of motorized window shades having varying power sources.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for balancing the bottom bar speed of motorized window shades without substantially reducing battery life.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that is easy to use.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use allows for manual movement of the shade.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use is relatively inexpensive.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that is convenient to use.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that is easy to install.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that is energy efficient.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that has a simple design.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that allows for power and control signals to be transmitted through a single cable.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that uses standard wiring.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that uses standard connections.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that has a rugged design.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use allows for use of a wireless control as well as a hardwired control.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that has an intuitive design.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use reduces the cost of installation over standard hardwired shades.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that can be controlled through the internet.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that can be connected to a security system or home automation system.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that provides two-way wireless communication.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved motorized window shade system and method of use that reduces or eliminates missed wireless control signals.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.